Episode #15: Myrna Bennett

Myrna Bennett and her husband Jim, zichrono livracha, grew up in San Francisco, and when they decided to make a stop in Israel on their way to spending some time in Europe, the Land made a greater impact on them than they had expected. Fast-forward some 55 years later, and Myrna Bennett finds herself part of a wonderful Haifa community, with three sons, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of whom live in Israel.  Oh, and one of those three sons is Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett. Myrna was gracious enough to allow my wife and me into her home, where she truly opened up to us, talking about her story, showing us family photos and an AMAZING diary her father kept, and we were even there for a surprise phone call from Naftali. Well, it was a surprise to us. Myrna wasn’t surprised at all … Israel's prime minister calls his mother everyday to say he loves her. And apparently, she loves him more, at least according to Myrna. One extra note: Myrna's husband Jim passed away in 2015, but it was crystal-clear during the interview that he was an absolute equal partner in the Bennetts' amazing story, and that he lives on in so many ways. I wish I could have met him. - Goel 00:00 - Intro 06:32 - Meeting Jim and Visiting Israel 15:31 - Kibbutz Life 25:19 - Setting Up Shop in Haifa 35:00 - Montreal and Embracing Torah 44:41 - Back to Israel 54:35 - Naftali Calls During the Conversation 1:05:02 - My Son, The Prime Minister 1:16:23 - Rapid-fire Questions